Warrington Sky Garden Receives £20k National Lottery Boost for Events and Wellbeing

An award-winning rooftop garden in Warrington has received a cash boost of £20,000 which will allow it to enhance its offer and host more events in 2026 and beyond.

Arts charity Culture Warrington and Golden Square shopping centre’s Sky Garden is celebrating after receiving the backing of the National Lottery Community Fund.

From the seed of an idea, to launching in summer 2022, to becoming a blooming success story, the Sky Garden project was recognised for the way it connects people with nature in their area.

As well as more homes for wildlife, new plants and more fresh produce grown for the community, the grant will fund a free ‘green wellbeing’ course for adults later this year as well as some open-air family events in the summer.

Tree Fest in July will feature family theatre performances, face painting, largescale forest puppets, wood craft demos and collective art displays, while Animal Antics in August will give youngsters the chance to meet farm animals and take part in craft activities.

Amanda Moore, Education and Sustainability Officer for Culture Warrington, leads on the Sky Garden project, which scooped ‘Gold’ at the International Green Apple Environment Awards 2025.

And last year she was shortlisted for a Warrington Guardian Inspiration Award for the contribution she has made to the community through the space.

Amanda said: “We’re over the moon to have received £20,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund for Sky Garden.

“It feels really rewarding that we’ve been recognised for what we do. It wouldn’t be possible without the support of Culture Warrington, my volunteers and the lovely team at Golden Square.

“The Sky Garden is a labour of love and I can’t believe how much it’s developed and how much support it’s received in a relatively short space of time.”

The original aim of Sky Garden was for the site to be a living addition to Warrington Museum’s natural history offer – a place for educational, wellbeing and community projects, to promote biodiversity in the town and to show what’s possible with even the smallest green space.

Highlights so far have included visits from almost 700 schoolchildren in four years, growing food for the community at the annual Harvest Festival and developing a network of like-minded, green-fingered folk via the ‘Warrington Community Gardens’ group and events like Swap Shop.

It has also added colour, family fun, pop-up performances, cloud spotting and even alpacas to Warrington Arts Festival through events such as Cloudscapes in 2024 and the Eco Arts Day in 2025, and has provided a unique backdrop for activities like yoga and sound baths.

Kim Cox, Support Services Manager for Golden Square, added: “We are delighted to receive this National Lottery funding, which will allow us to build on the success of the Sky Garden and create even more opportunities for Warrington families to enjoy the space.

“As a community hub at the heart of Warrington, Golden Square is committed to bringing people together, and this investment will help us deliver exciting new events and enhancements that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike.”

Sky Garden can be found on the top floor of Golden Square’s car park and is open to visitors during Golden Square’s normal opening hours.